Insurance Claim Quotes
Prior to 1799 it was common for Slave Ship owners to insure their cargo, the life of the slaves. Without such insurance the slave trade was a very risky business. There were cases of captains murdering “difficult” slaves and collecting the insurance on them and the most horrible of all, throwing lots of slaves overboard to avoid arrest by those countries which had outlawed the slave trade, and then collecting insurance on the dead “cargo.” One insurance company simply refused to write insurance on slave ships. See {622020}.
Currently the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company. In this case their General Counsel determined that the loss should be paid. Without insurance, the slave trade, like other shipping businesses could not thrive. England abolished the slave trade in 1806 but did not prohibit English Insurance companies from writing insurance on slave ships until 1811.
